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April 29, 2022"I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world." John 6:51
The Clergy Conference this past week focused on a three-year National Eucharistic Revival which launches on the Feast of Corpus Christi, June 19, 2022.
In late 2019, a Pew Study indicated that few Catholics, approximately 30 percent, fully believe in the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. This stark reality inspired the Bishops of the United States to action. More than an event or a program, they envision a true Revival to rediscover the source and summit of our Faith through a deep commitment of prayer, pilgrimage, and worship on the part of the entire Church in the United States.
The Bishops believe that God wants to see a movement of Catholics across the United States, healed, converted, formed, and unified by an encounter with Jesus in the Eucharist—and sent out in mission “for the life of the world.”
These three years will culminate in the first National Eucharistic Congress in the United States in almost fifty years which took place in Philadelphia in 1776 where I was Master of Ceremonies at liturgies that included among many other big names, St. Teresa of Kolkata, St. John Paul II, Princess Grace, and Bishop Fulton J. Sheen. Almost a hundred thousand Catholics will join together in Indianapolis for a once-in-a-lifetime pilgrimage toward the “source and summit” of our Catholic faith. There’ll much be more on this in weeks to come.
May 1, 2022 | Third Sunday of Easter | by the Faithful Disciple
Acts 5:27-32, 40b-41 | Rev 5:11-14 | Jn 21:1-19 or 21:1-14
GROW: The accounts of Jesus’ appearances to the disciples after his resurrection often puzzle me, and today’s reading is no exception. There stands Jesus, within sight, yet the Apostles “did not realize that it was Jesus.” Hello?! I know we’re in the midst of a daylight-saving time debate, but I’m fairly sure “dawn” meant the sun was up. Yet as soon as Jesus speaks and they follow his instructions, they realize he is their Lord. Simon Peter wastes no time; he dives into the sea and makes for the shore. Peter and the disciples show us that while it is important to recognize Jesus, it’s what we do next that matters. As we learn in Acts, they boldly say his name despite the Sanhedrin’s warning, and most will go on to be martyred for the Church. Thanks to them, we recognize Jesus – in the Eucharist, in Scripture, and in Tradition, and on the crucifixes in our homes and churches. Peter challenges us to “dive in,” moving from faith to action. The specifics will differ for each of us, but we can study the lives of the Apostles and the saints to find inspiration.
GO: Is it a Catholic thing or the fact that I’m a closet introvert? I sometimes struggle with talking about Jesus. Which is why today’s reading from Acts challenges me. The Sanhedrin had warned the Apostles not to even speak Jesus’ name. Yet they don’t cower in fear or simply go back to the relatively quiet lives they led before they met Jesus. They rejoice to be found worthy “to suffer dishonor for the sake of [Jesus’] name.” Their commitment challenges us to be bold – not only with our words but with our actions as well. In the same way that teaching another person math or spelling helps us learn, witnessing to our faith by sharing it with others helps us deepen our faith and answer God’s call to be his disciple, striving to build his kingdom on earth.
STUDY: This week, look up the feast days and read about the saint of the day. What can we learn from their example?
